Changing of Destiny
by Gemini14
Summary: Semi AU. When fate decides to change things a little at Rainbow Bridge, what will happen to the one known as the Sakurazukamori? Read and Review, Please! ON HIATUS
1. Chapter One:The Faintest Glimmer of Hope

Changing of Destiny

Chapter One: The Faintest Glimmer of Hope

Kamui and Arashi stared in sickening silence as the scene of carnage played out in front of them. Sumeragi Subaru, Dragon of Heaven, stood frozen where he was; his left hand protruding from….. Sakurazuka Seishiro's back.

"_W-what the_……" Subaru's mind screamed, as he quickly withdrew his hand, and Seishiro jerked in response, then fell forward into his arms.

"H-how did this……come to pass?" Subaru asked, as shock numbed his senses to all that was around him.

"She did this. It was your sister…..at the end of her time. It was her final spell, created at the risk of her life…." Seishiro choked, coughing as blood came into the back of his throat.

"Why…..?" Subaru whispered, unaware that Arashi and Kamui were walking slowly towards him and Seishiro. Seishiro stiffened and gasped for air before replying, but when he did, it almost shattered Subaru completely.

"She cast it…..to protect you. If I…..ever tried to kill you…..the way I killed her…..she made it…..so my spell….would backfire on me….." Seishiro managed, from between harsh, wheezing gasps. It was then that he looked over Subaru's shoulder and looked Kamui in the eye.

"_Ah_….._Kamui, Dragon of Heaven_……_Reminds me of Subaru at that age_….." Seishiro mused, before continuing his explanation.

"On that day……it was Hokuto-chan……whose body was pierced….like this…It's like a mirror-image of our past, isn't it?…..The two of us….here?" Seishiro asked, as sweat beaded on his face, and dripped off to land with almost deafening splashes on the pavement under them.

"Since that day….when you murdered her…..when you vanished from my life…..I tried so hard to do away with you….to kill you…in my heart. I tried to live on, vanquishing the stain of your presence from deep within me. ButI couldnot do it!" Subaru murmured, as he hugged Seishiro close to him. At first, Seishiro's eyes widened, then he smiled gently, knowingly.

"You are….such a very kind boy. Why didn't I see that….from the very start? It's not in your nature….to kill. Your heart…..can't take it…..so very kind…..Subaru-kun….." Seishiro whispered, then fell forward again; eyes fluttering shut as he did so.

"Seishiro-san!" Subaru cried, mournfully. Little did any of them realize that, far away, the tree that had supported the Sakurazukamori for so long, had just been destroyed…..by the most unlikely of people…..

………………….

Kamui felt absolutely helpless as he watched what was happening right in front of him. But Arashi, on the other hand, snapped herself out of the trance and rushed forward to see if she could be of any help.

"Sumeragi-san?" Arashi asked, calmly, as she touched him on the shoulder. No response.

"_He's in shock._" Arashi thought, as she gently reached down and pressed two fingers to Seishiro's neck. Her own eyes widened when she felt the unbelievable; there was a pulse!

"_It's weak_….._I'm barely able to feel it_…._But it's there! No mistake_……._he's still alive!_" Arashi's mind shouted, as she uttered the last phrase out loud. "He's still alive…." Subaru jerked, then looked up and gave her a hard look.

"How could he be? I ran him through! How could he possibly still be alive!" Subaru asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"I don't know either, Sumeragi-san, but there is a pulse…..it's faint, but it's there. Here, feel for yourself." Arashi ordered, as she had Subaru gently set Seishiro down onto the pavement, then pressed Subaru's bloodied fingertips to the older man's neck. Subaru's expression changed from shock to disbelief.

"I can't believe it……you're right! He is still alive…..but I don't know how. I could have sworn that I….." Subaru stated, then shook his head. Somehow or another, he was getting another chance.

"If he's still alive, then let's get him to a hospital. We might be able to save him." Kamui suggested, coming out of his own shock in order to say that.

"Agreed. Will you two help me?" Subaru asked.

"Hai." Kamui said, with a nod.

"Of course. You needn't even ask, Sumeragi-san." Arashi replied, mere seconds before the bridge started to collapse.

"Let's get the heck outta here, then!" Kamui shouted, sounding like the teenager he truly was, just then.

"No arguments, there." Subaru murmured, as he and Arashi shouldered Seishiro's weight, then rushed away from the collapsing Rainbow Bridge.

…………………..

"Well, we're done here, Larva. Let's go home." A girl's voice said, as she dusted herself off, and started walking away from the charred remains of the tree.

"Hai, Miyu-sama." 'Larva' murmured, as he quietly followed the girl.

"See ya around, Miyu!" a boy's voice called.

"Sure thing, Ichiro." 'Miyu' replied, with a slight smile in his direction.

"See you soon, Miyu." Another girl echoed, as she and her companions disappeared into the mists.

"Yes. See you, Yui." Miyu stated, before also vanishing from sight.

………………………

"Punctured left lung and a shredded aorta……Absolute miracle he's survived even this long…." A doctor said, several long hours later to the three anxious people in the hospital waiting room.

"Were you able to repair any of it?" Subaru asked. The doctor sighed.

"We were able to repair the hole in his lung, but it remains to be seen if his aorta will fare as well after surgery. He'll be in an induced coma for awhile, to allow everything to heal….It'll also make it easier to fight infections and the like while he is here." The doctor stated. It was Subaru's turn to sigh.

"Can we see him?" Kamui asked, getting an odd look from Subaru for that.

"Yes. But only for a moment. We've scheduled him for the next open-heart surgery in thirty minutes, so you must make it brief." The doctor said, as he led them into the ICU, and subsequently into the room where Seishiro now lay. Kamui looked up when he heard a soft sob escape from Subaru; and understood how the older man must have felt. His close friendship with Fuma had been cruelly shattered in much the same way.

"_History is always repeating itself. Subaru-san and Sakurazuka-san_….._Fuma and myself_……_Reflections_….._shadows_……_ghosts_…." Kamui mused, as he gazed at the now peaceful face of the 'Cherry Blossom Assassin', silently wondering if this was what he would have to endure in order to get Fuma back.

"_Only time will tell, I suppose_……" Kamui thought, as he watched Subaru walk over to Seishiro's bedside, and place a now blood-free left hand on the other man's right for a moment, then turned and looked at them.

"I wonder what Hokuto-chan would've thought of this? Would she have been angry that her spell had failed? Or relieved?" Subaru asked, quietly.

"I really don't know, Sumeragi-san. I never knew your sister….but I can tell you that I think she would be the latter." Arashi stated, as she walked over and placed a cool hand over Subaru's, looking him directly in the eye as she did so.

"You think so?" Subaru questioned.

"We both do, Subaru-san. She knew that it would have killed you if you had killed the Sakurazukamori like that, so she did everything in her power to prevent that from happening. True, what happened, happened; but somehow he managed to survive it. All we can do now is hope he has the strength to live on." Kamui said, with wisdom beyond his years. At first, both of his companions (especially Subaru) gave him a look of surprise, then Subaru did the unexpected. He smiled.

"You're right, Kamui. All we have is hope. It's the least we can give him, ne?" Subaru asked.

"Hai. Now, let's go home. I'm sure everybody else is worried sick about us." Kamui stated.

"Especially Sorata." Subaru added, with something that sounded like a teasing tone laced in his voice.

"Oh, don't start, Sumeragi-san…..Don't even think of starting!" Arashi muttered, blushing as Subaru chuckled at her expense. They didn't notice when the ghostly image of a girl briefly appeared by Seishiro's bedside, kissed the man's forehead, then vanished without a trace after waving goodbye to the departing onmyoji and his companions. Without even turning around, Subaru sensed his elder sister's presence; and bid her a silent farewell.

"_Goodbye, Hokuto-chan._" Subaru thought, as a single tear slid down his cheek, and as he quickly wiped it away so he wouldn't worry either of his companions.

………………………

Author's Note!

Yes, I know this seems a little odd (and fast-paced), but this is a trial-and-error story. It's one of those 'what if's' that comes into mind after reading the final confrontation between Subaru and Seishiro. What if Seishiro had survived? And what if the tree had been destroyed at the same time? How would this affect the story-line of X/1999?

Also, I know that the part with Miyu, Larva, Ichiro, and Yui seemed disjointed, but I was just doing that part from the Vampire Miyu manga from memory (and also, I wanted it to seem a little bit like a dream).

Well, that's all I have to say. Let me know what ya'll think, all right? Read and Review Please!

Gemini14


	2. Chapter Two:Memories coming to Life

Chapter Two: Memories coming to Life

It had been almost a full month since Seishiro had been admitted to the downtown Shinjuku hospital, and already there was marked improvement. His lung had healed almost completely, and the aorta (which the doctors had doubted would ever truly work again to any capacity) was working just as well. Now Subaru, Kamui, Arashi, Sorata, and even Yuzuriha waited for the man to wake up, since the medication keeping him in the induced coma had been cut off.

"He's probably gonna have a royal conniption when he sees us here, ne, Subaru?" Sorata asked, becoming a little concerned when he noticed Seishiro's hands twitch slightly. Subaru shrugged.

"I have no idea, Sorata. Maybe he will, yet, then again, maybe he won't. The Seishiro I had known when I was a teenager was just a mask; I really don't have any idea how he will react to seeing five out of the seven Dragons of Heaven here in front of him." Subaru replied, calmly.

"Be that as it may, Sumeragi-san, Hinoto-hime was definitely not happy about us coming here." Arashi murmured, as she also watched the Dragon of Earth begin to stir.

"At this point, Arashi-san, I don't think he cares." Kamui stated, going silent when a slight moan escaped from between Seishiro's lips.

"Seishiro-san?" Subaru asked, quietly so he wouldn't startle the elder onmyoji.

"Subaru-kun…..?" Seishiro whispered, as he slowly opened his eyes and gazed blearily up at him. Then he turned his gaze to the rest who stood in the room with Subaru.

"Dragons of Heaven…..? Are these to be my executioners, Subaru-kun?" Seishiro again asked, unafraid, yet still disturbed by their presences there.

"Don't be silly, Sakurazuka-san! We're not here to kill you!" Yuzuriha chirped, as Inuki barked in agreement. This got an arched eyebrow, and then a sad smile, from Seishiro in response.

"So much like someone I once knew…..that we both knew….ne, Subaru-kun?" Seishiro questioned, as Subaru silently nodded in agreement.

"She is indeed." Subaru mused, aloud, as Yuzuriha blushed in embarrassment at her own audacity.

"Subaru-kun, Dragons of Heaven, there is something you all should know. Something that you will find unbelievable….." Seishiro said, as he sobered, slowly sat up, and met each of the young Dragons' gazes.

"Speak on, Sakurazuka-san." Arashi said, coolly.

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" Sorata asked, noticing as well as the rest that something was bothering him.

"Subaru-kun knows of the tree that sustained the power of the Sakurazukamori, and of my connection to it. He knows that whatever happens to that tree, happens to me as well……The unbelievable thing about this is the fact that I am no longer able to feel the tree's presence…..I think it is dead." Seishiro said, disbelief filtering into his own voice as he said that. And it was reflected back at him by all of those inside of the room with him.

"You've gotta be kidding! That tree is gone? How? And when?" Sorata yelped. Seishiro shook his head.

"I have no idea. All I know is that the death of that tree should have killed me as well, but it didn't. I am still alive despite that, and being run through with a backfired spell…It seems Hokuto-chan's spell is serving a double-purpose." Seishiro murmured, wincing when he took too deep a breath, and his left lung burned in response. Yuzuriha and Sorata gave Subaru a confused look.

"My elder sister placed a spell on him at the moment of her death. A spell that would turn his deathblow against him. It worked…..to a certain extent…..but it seems to now be sustaining Seishiro-san in place of the tree." Subaru said, answering the unspoken questions.

"But wouldn't that only work if the spell-caster was still alive?" Sorata asked, for once dead serious. Subaru and Seishiro both nodded; confusion reigning in their eyes as well.

"That should be the case…..but I know for certain that Hokuto-chan couldn't possibly be alive….I was the one who had murdered her…." Seishiro mused, hesitantly.

"Do you think, maybe, since the tree is gone, it has released all of the souls it had trapped within it?" Yuzuriha suggested, innocently. Both men froze and gaped at her for a moment, then exchanged a glance: could it be true?

"It's a thought, in any case. Do you want to see if we can find her, Subaru-san?" Kamui asked.

"Why would you want to do that for me, Kamui-kun?" Subaru in turn asked, quietly, surprised by the boy's willingness to try and find someone who shouldn't even exist anymore.

"C'mon, man! Don't be so dense! You're one of us, remember? And we'll do anything for friends. Ne, Arashi-koi?" Sorata asked, getting a flustered look from Arashi as a response. Seishiro laughed softly at those remarks; he could remember very clearly when Hokuto would get after Subaru for being such an 'airhead', and how he had secretly, deep down in his heart, wished that those moments would linger on forever.

"Yet, here is a question that has just come to mind; if Sakurazuka-san is no longer the Sakurazukamori, then is he still a Dragon of Earth?" Arashi pointed out, intelligently.

"That is yet another question that cannot be answered here and now. We'll just have to wait and see." Seishiro murmured, then added, "I suppose that will depend on whether or not the other Kamui comes to finish the job."

"I won't let him. You have my word, Sakurazuka-san." Kamui vowed, surprising Seishiro somewhat. Then the older man gave him a slight, mischievous grin.

"You know, Subaru-kun, he reminds me now, more than ever, of how you were when you were sixteen. Kinda kawaii, is it not?" Seishiro asked, getting a prompt face-fault from both Subaru and Kamui as a response.

"S-Seishiro-san!" Subaru stammered, voicing his exasperation, as the former Sakurazukamori laughed at his discomfiture.

"You all right, Kamui?" Sorata asked, snickering despite himself.

"Ow." Kamui whimpered, as he put a hand to his now-bruised forehead and stood up, wincing as he did so.

"Seishiro-chan is right! Kamui is very kawaii!" Yuzuriha mewed, as she pinched Kamui's cheeks, teasingly; getting a beet-red blush for her efforts.

"If you don't stop teasing him, our Kamui's going to burst a vein." Arashi muttered, dryly, yet not without a smile. She could tell that this was the only way they would ever feel comfortable around their former enemy, and she wasn't going to stop it. Yet, she could tell that Yuzuriha's words had sobered Seishiro somewhat; his expression was now tinged with sadness and regret. Expressions all of the rest of the Dragons of Heaven were familiar with, since they often adorned their Kamui's face and that of Subaru as well.

"_And Sumeragi-san hasn't smiled at all up until this point. Maybe this is for the best._" Arashi mused, noticing when Seishiro's odd gaze fell upon her.

"Something seems to be troubling you, miko-sama." Seishiro quietly pointed out. Arashi seemed taken aback, now that the attention was solely on her, then she shook her head.

"No, nothing is the matter, everyone. I just happened to notice that Sakurazuka-san is the one who seems the most saddened by Sumeragi-san's loss." Arashi stated, coolly.

"Of course I am, miko of Ise Shrine. I lived through this near-death experience only to find myself, more than ever before, confronted with my past. I killed Subaru-kun's only sister with my own bare hands…..and never truly felt remorse for what I did. I wounded him deeply; an inexcusable act on my part……..Something that should never have happened." Seishiro whispered, the anguish in his good eye convincing those in the room that he actually was capable now of feeling remorse. He visibly jumped when Yuzuriha, pure and innocent Yuzuriha, took one hand in hers' and gave him a smile.

"Don't worry! If Hokuto-san is alive, we'll find her! I promise!" Yuzuriha said, getting an honestly surprised look from Seishiro as a response.

"Yeah, just leave it to us! We'll find her in no time!" Sorata added, with a certainty that only someone like him could have. For one long moment, Seishiro could only stare at the young Dragons in shocked silence, then he sighed.

"Thank you. Just be mindful in the meantime of where the other Dragons of Earth are, and how dangerous they can be. The threat will have increased now that I have 'defected' to your side, so to speak." Seishiro said, as he reclined on some pillows Yuzuriha and Subaru had taken the time to pile up behind him in that brief moment of silence. Kamui nodded.

"And Fuma will be determined to see to it that you don't tell us anything you might know about their plans. Don't worry. We'll protect the earth….and you." Kamui promised, as he quietly took his leave. The other three remaining Dragons of Heaven did the same not too long after.

"So quiet and determined……he certainly has grown up since that first meeting in the Diet Building." Seishiro mused aloud, his expression more thoughtful now than sad.

"He has indeed…..but that is what fate has demanded of him. He's endured experiences I know would have crushed anyone with a weaker heart…..In fact, he dealt with the loss of my own eye better than I did when you'd lost yours' Seishiro-san." Subaru quietly admitted. Seishiro nodded, ruefully rubbing said eye as he did so.

"I wonder how little Yuya-kun is faring now? Did he ever get that kidney he so desperately needed?" Seishiro said, as he remembered the bright-eyed little boy Subaru had befriended so long ago.

"It is more than likely that Yuya is no longer little, anymore. In fact, he'd be about Kamui's age by now…..if he got the kidney, that is." Subaru murmured, as he sat down and reclined in the chair next to Seishiro's bed.

"True enough." Seishiro agreed, noticing now how tired Subaru looked and acted.

"You've been too worried to sleep, haven't you?" Seishiro asked, startling Subaru a little with the observation.

"I guess so." Subaru replied, smiling slightly when Seishiro rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation.

"Hokuto-chan would have given you an earful a long time ago, Subaru-kun. You're going to make yourself sick, at this rate." Seishiro muttered, as he carefully leaned forward, brushed a hand against Subaru's forehead, and mumbled something unsavory under his breath when he found a slight fever.

"I know, Seishiro-san, I know. But rest does not come easy when a loved one or a friend is in the hospital….If you would remember, I didn't sleep very well when you first lost your eye." Subaru stated, as he allowed himself to relax slightly; wincing when the tension was relieved from his still-healing injuries.

"Yes. And I can still hear Hokuto-chan's voice ringing in my ears from the dressing down she gave me at one point during my recovery. No doubt she would reiterate everything she'd said then now, if she could." Seishiro muttered, smirking when Subaru made a face at that thought.

"And she would say a lot of things our parents certainly wouldn't approve of…..and that Obaa-chan would not like either." Subaru added, noticing when Seishiro's expression fell again.

"That's another person I have to apologize to; your grandmother. Not only did I kill one of her grandchildren, but I injured her as well. She'll be wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life, thanks to me." Seishiro said, sighing in anger at himself for having caused so much pain.

"I don't know of anything I can say or do that will make you feel any better, Seishiro-san, but all I can do is this." Subaru said, as he stood, bent forward, and hugged his friend gently.

"Subaru-kun…..?" Seishiro whispered, not quite believing what was happening just then.

"Get well soon, my friend." Subaru murmured, then withdrew and quietly left the room. For a few moments, Seishiro could only stare after him in stunned silence; then he regained his senses, and smiled.

"Arigato, Subaru-kun….and be careful out there." Seishiro murmured, before pulling an anti-scroll out of nowhere, summoning a shikigami, and giving it the silent order to follow and protect Subaru.

……………………

Later on that day, Kamui found himself in the park, not too far away from the hospital.

"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack! Where do I begin to find someone I have never even met?" Kamui muttered, as he sat down on a bench for a break.

"Man, you look beat!" a voice commented, startling Kamui into looking up. There, standing about two or three feet away, was a boy about his age.

"Yeah, I am. I've been up since early this morning, looking for someone." Kamui said, as he watched the other youth sit down beside him.

"Hmm, found someone you have. Hmm?" the other boy joked, then said, "Sorry. I'm a bit of a sci-fi fan, so I couldn't resist."

"No problem. I don't really have much time nowadays to watch movies, since homework kills most of my free time." Kamui lied, not that the enthusiastic teen beside him noticed.

"I know the feeling, buddy. My mom often tells me to stop watching long enough to at least turn in an incomplete assignment!" the teen said, with a laugh. Kamui couldn't help but chuckle at his peer's incorrigible view on homework.

"That's pretty bad. By the way, my name's Shiro Kamui." Kamui said, introducing himself.

"Mine's Yuya." The other teen replied, shaking Kamui's hand while he did so.

"Pleased to meet you. So, what series do you watch?" Kamui asked, curious now as to which shows his new friend watched.

"Let's see…..Doctor Who is one, Hitchhiker's Guide is another……some sci-fi anime like Galaxy Express and Captain Harlock….and I've seen all of the Star Wars movies so far." Yuya said, grinning when he saw Kamui's look of surprise.

"Where did you find out about the older series?" Kamui found himself asking.

"I found my dad's old videotapes in storage and decided to check 'em out. It was love at first sight." Yuya stated, with an exaggerated sigh for emphasis.

"Sure sounds like it. Do you have any other hobbies?" Kamui asked, curiously.

"Hai. I build model airplanes from kits my mom brings in." Yuya said, his tone sobering slightly as he went on.

"Is something wrong?" Kamui questioned, having noticed that something was bothering his newfound friend.

"Normally I'm not able to come outside like this, since my health is usually pretty bad. Ya see, I have a form of kidney disease that I've been dealing with since I was small. I lost my onee-chan to it…..and if I don't get a kidney transplant, I'll die too." Yuya explained, his cheerful demeanor replaced by a somber one.

"Is it that difficult to get a transplant?" Kamui asked, touched by his new friend's plight. Yuya nodded.

"The list of people needing a transplant is very long. I've been waiting for almost nine years now, with no end in sight. Unless someone donates a kidney, I'll probably never get one…..At least, not in time to save my life, at any rate." Yuya murmured, then gave Kamui an apologetic glance.

"I'm sorry about this. Didn't mean to spill my guts to someone I've just met." Yuya said, with a sad smile.

"No problem, don't worry about it. It helps sometimes to talk about things that bother you….Otherwise, how will people understand what you're going through?" Kamui replied, knowing that particular truth from personal experience.

"It sounds like you've got a story to tell too, but I won't pressure ya for it." Yuya said, understanding somehow that Kamui's emotional wounds were still too fresh to reopen for an almost complete stranger.

"Thanks." Kamui gratefully responded, as he glanced at his watch, and stood up. Yuya followed suit.

"No prob. See ya." Yuya said, as he started to leave.

"See ya." Kamui repeated, as he jogged away, heading for the CLAMP campus, in hopes that maybe his friends had found some clues.

…………………………………

"All of Tokyo is in a state of emergency. Most of the people from the areas destroyed by fire and earthquake have sought refuge outside of the city." Nokoru Imonoyama, the President of CLAMP Academy, informed, grimly, as he showed a map to the Dragons of Heaven.

"It's awful." Yuzuriha murmured, as her young eyes took in all of the devastation and turmoil the Dragons of Earth were causing.

"What about CLAMP Academy? The students?" Subaru asked, turning slightly when Kamui arrived, and nodding to him in greeting.

"They're staying on campus. The school grounds are still safer here than elsewhere." Nokoru said, quietly.

"The Dragons of Earth have quit playing around. They're serious about wiping Tokyo out with these earthquakes." Sorata stated, his usual carefree attitude gone in the face of the menace.

"Once Tokyo falls, the ties binding the Spirit Shields will give way." Arashi murmured.

"Then all of Japan will go! And once that's over…..!" Yuzuriha yelped, before Kamui finished her statement.

"The earth will fall as well." Kamui said, quietly. He smiled slightly when Sorata teased Arashi a little bit, and when she reacted by blushing and pushing his hand away when he'd impulsively felt her forehead for a fever.

"So, no go? You can't predict which landmark will be destroyed next?" Subaru asked, with some hint of worry in his eyes as he said that.

"It's not that, Sumeragi-san. I…..I think they're trying to gauge our prediction." Nokoru responded.

"What do you mean by that?" Yuzuriha questioned.

"Well, whenever we predict where the next quake will be, it always happens on the other side of the map!" Nokoru stated, as he motioned to said map with a wave of his hand.

"It's almost as if they were doing it be design, so that you all can't get there in time." Ijyuin Akira, one of Nokoru's assistants murmured.

"They are." A strained voice said, and all turned to face the speaker in surprise.

"Seishiro-san! What in the world are you doing here! You should be in bed!" Subaru yelped, as the former Sakurazukamori sank to his knees and smiled tiredly up at those gathered.

"A little birdie told me that things will get rough fairly soon, so I decided to follow up on that and get out of the hospital while I still could." Seishiro said, as he struggled to get his breath back after having walked so far on his own.

"That bit of intuition may have saved your life, in the long run, Sakurazuka-san. But what did you mean by what you'd said just a moment ago?" Arashi asked.

"The Dragons of Earth also have a dream-seer…..and he's been very accurate thus far in his predictions." Seishiro said, when he'd gotten his breath back enough to explain.

"And Hinoto-hime is laid up, for the time being." Arashi stated.

"Man! It's like fighting blind! We don't know what the heck the enemy's up to, or when they'll strike next!" Sorata shouted, in frustration.

"And, to make matters worse, we still do not know where Sumeragi-san's elder sister is. She could be caught up in the next quake, for all we know." Yuzuriha murmured, worriedly.

"If only I was well enough to help you. As it is, I can only give vague ideas as to what the other Kamui has in mind and nothing more." Seishiro said, the frustration very evident in his voice and on his face.

"Don't sweat it, Sei-kun. We'll find Subaru's sis, don't worry. And, as for that little problem with prediction, we'll just have to split up and place ourselves around Tokyo so that one of us will be able to make it no matter where the Dragons of Earth show up." Sorata stated.

"But, if we break up our forces, won't we be in more danger?" Arashi asked, voicing the misgivings of the group (especially those of Subaru and Seishiro) exactly.

"Yeah. But we'll never make it in time if we wander around this city as one unit." Sorata replied, intelligently.

"Divide and conquer…..only this time, it is to protect, not destroy." Seishiro mused aloud, getting a nod from Sorata signaling that he'd gotten the idea.

"Right on. I'll get in touch with Aoki-san and Karen-san. We should work in teams of two." Sorata stated, then asked, when he'd turned to Nokoru, Akira, and Suoh, "Will you keep sorting that data?"

"Yes. Count on it." Nokoru replied, speaking for himself and his two partners as he said that.

"Good." Sorata said, with a smile, then returned his attention to Yuzuriha and Arashi, "For the time being, could you go with Yuzuriha, Arashi-koi?" Arashi nodded.

"And you're with me." Sorata said, as he placed hand on Kamui's shoulder.

"What about me?" Subaru asked, calmly.

"You're still recoverin' from injuries as well, Subaru. You shouldn't strain yourself too much, 'specially since you haven't been sleepin' or eatin' properly for the past few weeks." Sorata stated, smirking when Seishiro gave Subaru a disapproving look about that bit of information.

"I'll give him an earful after you all have gone, so don't worry about him following you." Seishiro muttered, as Subaru gave him an uneasy glance, knowing only too well that Seishiro intended to live up to that promise.

"See ya later then, and don't hurt our onmyoji too much, okay, Sei-kun?" Sorata joked, his usual happy-go-lucky persona returning with that statement.

"I won't." Seishiro promised.

"Then why do you have your fingers crossed behind your back, Seishiro-san?" Subaru asked, dryly. Seishiro only chuckled and gave him a look that said 'Wouldn't you like to know?' before he slowly got to his feet again and limped off.

"_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_" Subaru wondered, as he rolled his eyes, sighed, and followed his friend to the underground rooms the Dragons of Heaven sometimes used; hoping the other onmyoji wouldn't get into too much trouble while he was there…….A forlorn hope if ever there was one…….

Author's Note!

Yeah, I know, long wait between chapters! But writer's block had this thing in a death-grip for quite a while before I wrestled it free. (Got the bumps and bruises to prove it, lol). Hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Gemini14


	3. Chapter Three: Shifting Futures

Chapter Three: Shifting Futures

It seemed as though it had been an eternity since she had seen any light; the darkness around her seemed that impenetrable. To add to the unnerving state she now found herself in, there was a deafening silence in this void that even her shouts could not disturb.

"_Where the heck am I? This doesn't look or feel like a dream_….._and it definitely doesn't feel like death_……_Am I in limbo?_" the young woman wondered, then tried calling out to someone she knew, in an attempt to figure out just what was going on.

"Kakyo? Kakyo, can you hear me?" the woman asked, but got no response.

"_Yep. Must be limbo._" The woman mused, as she 'sat' in midair, crossed her arms, and glared down at where the ground should have been. Yet, it was then that she realized that she could suddenly see what she was wearing; the white robes of an onmyoji!

"Wait a darned minute! The last time I wore this was the night I put that spell on Sei-chan! Which means……." The woman muttered, as she looked down at the front of the garment. To her shock, there was no hole in her chest (nor her back, for that matter), even though there were bloodstains where the fatal wounds had been.

"_Could this mean what I think it means_…._? Could I somehow be alive again?_" the woman wondered, flinching when sudden, brilliant light broke into the darkness; shattering it in much the same way that the dawn destroys bad dreams.

"Look out, world! Sumeragi Hokuto is coming back!" the woman shouted, jubilantly, as she dashed towards the light.

…………………………….

Seishiro sighed as he quietly sought out a spot on campus where he could be alone. So many things were running through his mind at that moment to even think of the future beyond the next day; why was he still alive? How was it possible that Hokuto's spell was now supplying him with power? And what else did this strange twist of fate have in store?

"_Too many questions_…._and no one to answer them. This has never happened in the long history of the Sakurazukamori before, so I have no idea where to turn next._" Seishiro mused, as he walked into a small glade, towards the tallest tree, climbed up into it, and sat down on one of the sturdier branches.

"_You seem a bit depressed, sir. What's troubling you?_" a ghostly voice asked, startling Seishiro, somewhat. Composing himself, Seishiro looked to his left and saw that the ghost of a sixteen-year-old girl was sitting on the branch across from him.

"I remember you. You're the one that was with Kamui-kun that time when I attacked…..Monou Kotori, was that your name?" Seishiro asked, getting a nod from the ghostly girl in response.

"_Hai! I'm surprised you remember me!_" Kotori replied, with a smile; seeming to have forgiven Seishiro about the attack on Kamui and her all that time ago.

"I rarely forget a pretty face, Monou-san. Even if they belong to boys too pretty for their own good." Seishiro said, jokingly; knowing that, somewhere else on campus, Subaru had just sneezed. Kotori giggled and even blushed a little bit, before getting back to the subject at hand.

"_I could sense that you were confused about something, so I came here to see what was wrong. Is there something troubling you?_" Kotori asked, as she gazed at Seishiro with concern in her blue eyes. Seishiro sighed and nodded.

"Just trying to figure out why I am not dead now, that's all. You see, a month ago, I fought against a Dragon of Heaven known as Sumeragi Subaru on Rainbow Bridge. In the midst of the battle, I was run through with a backfired spell….the end result of a curse placed on me by Subaru-kun's elder sister almost ten years ago….. Somehow, I survived it, and now the spell seems to be giving me strength and power in place of what had been doing that before." Seishiro explained, as the ghostly Kotori listened intently.

"_Hmm_…._I wish I could help you, sir, I really do. If I were still alive, I could maybe ask Kakyo-san for some answers_……" Kotori murmured, as at a loss about Seishiro's dilemma as he was.

"Somehow, Monou-san, I doubt that would be of much he's a Dragon of Earth and that the Twin Star has direct access to his dreaming state. A fine suggestion, though, in any case." Seishiro murmured, managing to look surprised when Kotori reached over and placed an insubstantial hand on his hands and smiling comfortingly.

"_I'm sure you'll find the answer. Just have faith._" Kotori said, before she vanished without a trace, leaving Seishiro alone in the tree again. With a sigh, Seishiro had to agree with Kotori; all he could do at this point was have faith that the answers would come, given time.

"_Only time will tell where this path leads_…._Yet, all things considered, being alive is certainly better than being dead._" Seishiro mused, looking down when he heard footsteps coming his way, and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Subaru.

"Looking for me, Subaru-kun?" Seishiro asked, snickering when the younger onmyoji jumped slightly and looked up at him in surprise. To his own surprise, however, Subaru was quick to calm down and give him a somewhat questioning look.

"What are you doing up there?" Subaru asked, in turn.

"Thinking….Trying to figure out what to do next." Seishiro answered, as he carefully got down from the tree.

"I know the feeling. Too much is happening at once to take it all in." Subaru mused, agreeing with Seishiro on that point.

"I'll bet your Dream-seer, Hinoto, doesn't like this turn of events." Seishiro muttered, as he gazed up into the lush branches of the tree that had been dubbed 'Kotori's Tree' almost four months back.

"That is what is bothering me, Seishiro-san…..Since you are no longer a Dragon of Earth, I feel I can tell you this….Hinoto has been acting strange lately….almost as though she has been possessed by something." Subaru admitted, as he leaned against another tree and sighed.

"What makes you think so, Subaru-kun?" Seishiro asked, sensing somehow that this was linked to the collapse of the Rainbow Bridge a month before.

"From what Sorata, Kamui, Arashi, and Yuzuriha have been able to tell me, Hinoto had told them that Yasukuni Shrine was the Shield that was going to go down that night, when I was sent to Rainbow Bridge to face you. As you well know, nothing happened at the shrine, and Rainbow Bridge fell." Subaru explained, as realization came to Seishiro's mismatched eyes.

"And this could only happen if your Dream-seer gave your fellow Dragons false information! That would certainly explain why it has been so easy for the Dragons of Earth to destroy the other Spirit Shields….Does anyone else know of your Dream-seer's duplicity?" Seishiro asked.

"I think Kamui has the same suspicion, but he hasn't said too much about it yet. He's taking his time gathering the facts, this time around….and also I don't think he wants to suspect Hinoto of any wrong-doing, since she had been so trustworthy until this point in time." Subaru murmured.

"So, what is to be done now?" Seishiro questioned, as Subaru shrugged slightly and shook his head.

"No idea. The only thing we can do is try to figure out which Spirit Shields will be targeted next…..without the aid of a Dream-seer." Subaru stated, as a grim expression appeared on his friend's face.

"And that will be like trying to forecast the weather without the use of radar or any other pieces of modern equipment…..Next to impossible." Seishiro mumbled, as he ran a hand through his dark hair; the surest sign of frustration that Subaru had ever seen in the usually calm onmyoji.

"_And yet_…._why is he so concerned? I know he isn't a Dragon of Earth anymore, but that doesn't explain why he is suddenly so worried about the welfare of the Spirit Shields_…._Has he found something he wants to protect? Could that be it?_" Subaru wondered, as the conversation lingered on into silence; the only thing moving between them being the dying breath of a breeze.

………………………..

Meanwhile, at Ino-Gashira Park, Arashi and Yuzuriha wandered around, vigilant for anything that would hint at the collapse of the Spirit Shield.

"I don't sense anything much." Yuzuriha said, after about an hour of watching and waiting.

"Nor do I." Arashi added, quietly. Things had been quiet as long as they had been within the park itself, and they were beginning to wonder whether or not their guess had been wrong.

"Arashi-chan…" Yuzuriha said, after a few moments.

"Hai?" Arashi replied, sensing that something was on the other girl's mind.

"Um….may I ask you a question?" Yuzuriha asked.

"Hai." Arashi said, giving the usually spunky girl the go-ahead.

"Do you like Sorata-kun?" Yuzuriha again asked. This got a deep red blush from Arashi as a response.

"W-why do you ask?" Arashi questioned, as she tried to compose herself (and failed miserably).

"'Cause the look on your face…..it was just…SO kawaii…when you were watching him go earlier!" Yuzuriha meowed, bringing into mind when Sorata and Kamui had gone off to Ginza to protect the Shield there.

"K-kawaii, was it…?" Arashi mumbled, still beet red from Yuzuriha's teasing. Yuzuriha nodded, then sobered.

"And maybe….it struck me because there's someone I look at with those feelings too. You see…I know what it feels like. I'm in love, too….And, I know this isn't the time for it, but I just can't stop myself…..This is the world in which he lives, so I want to protect it with all my heart!" Yuzuriha said, with a strength and conviction that Arashi had never heard in her voice or seen on her face before.

"Yuzuriha…." Arashi trailed off, speechless at the other girl's determination. Deep down, she too had thought of those same things as being the reason her own Spirit Shield existed, but had never given voice to them as her seemingly innocent friend just had. Yet, before she could say anything, the earth beneath them shook violently; signaling that it was time to fight, once again.

"There has to be a Dragon of Earth close at hand!" Arashi shouted, before she raised her Spirit Shield and they both leaped into action…..

…………………………….

In Ginza, both Kamui and Sorata jerked to attention when they sensed the Spirit Shield go up, and their eyes widened in alarm.

"It's a Spirit Shield! But whose?" Kamui asked, as Sorata focused on the aura of the Shield, and some fear appeared on his face.

"I know who it is! If Arashi-koi had to put up a Spirit Shield, then they must've come across the Dragons of Earth!" Sorata yelped.

"Then we must go to their aid…!" Kamui shouted, as he prepared to leave his post, but was stopped by none other than Hinoto herself!

"_Don't go! Please, not just yet._" Hinoto said, as a ghostly image appeared in front of the two young men.

"Hinoto!" Sorata cried, surprised, to say the least.

"_An earthquake will occur in Ginza very shortly._" Hinoto warned.

"Dragons of Earth? Here!" Sorata asked. Hinoto's image nodded.

"_Yes. We will need you here. You must stay to protect Ginza._" Hinoto stated, before her image disappeared from before them.

"Dammit!" Sorata shouted, furiously, not noticing that the image had left something behind….and that Kamui had noticed it.

"I've seen this before! It's the same talisman as last time…But why does she have this?" Kamui asked, as he picked up what appeared to be an anti-scroll from the ground in front of him.

"What's the matter, Kamui?" Sorata asked, when he'd calmed down enough to notice that a rather disturbed expression now adorned Kamui's face.

"For me…..could you put up a Spirit Shield?" Kamui asked, not really answering his friend's question.

"You want us to have a preemptive Dragon of Heaven Spirit Shield?" Sorata asked, as he prepared to summon his Shield to put it around Ginza. Kamui shook his head and stopped him from doing so.

"No, not that way. You're a Koya Priest, aren't you?" Kamui asked, in turn.

"Hai….so?" Sorata questioned, not really seeing Kamui's point.

"Make a shield with Esoteric Buddhism….." Kamui said, then looked directly into his friend's eyes before continuing, "I need to talk with you….and no one else can hear. No one else with power. Understand?" Sorata only nodded, and got started. He didn't know what it was that had Kamui so on edge, but he knew there had to be a reason. A good reason……But would they find out in time to save Yuzuriha and Arashi?

…………………….

As the hours slowly ticked by, with no sign of the four teens returning before dusk, Subaru and Seishiro found themselves wandering around the campus. With every step, Seishiro found himself getting a little bit stronger; furthering his belief that, somehow, Hokuto was alive and well somewhere.

"_Hopefully out of the city. The way things look now, she would be in more danger if she appeared anywhere within Tokyo's city limits. The Twin Star would see to that._" Seishiro mused, growling at the thought of the sadistic Kamui for the Seven Harbingers getting his hands on Subaru's sprightly twin.

"You sure look scary right now, Ojii-san. Did someone say something to make you mad?" a childish voice asked, causing Seishiro to pause and look down. There, standing before him, was a ten-year-old girl. His heart softened when he saw the inquisitive emerald eyes gazing up at him, and smiled at her to assure her that he wasn't angry.

"I apologize if I scared you with that mean look I had on my face. I was just thinking of someone." Seishiro said, getting a vibrant smile, and then a somewhat serious/confused look, from the child in response.

"Did that person say something mean to you?" the girl asked again, as she started walking alongside of him as he continued his patrol of the campus grounds.

"Not really…..And yet he isn't a really nice fellow, either. He's what us old folks call a 'juvenile delinquent'." Seishiro said, not knowing that, elsewhere in the city, the Twin Star had just sneezed. The little girl giggled at the description, then smiled up at him again.

"My name is Kinomoto Sakura. What's yours?" the girl questioned.

"Sakurazuka Seishiro. Pleased to meet you, Sakura-chan." Seishiro said, pleasantly.

"Pleased to meet you too, Sakurazuka-san!" Sakura chirped, happy to have made a new friend.

"So, what brings you to this campus, Sakura-chan?" Seishiro asked.

"My Tou-san, Nii-chan, and everyone else in the Tomoeda district had to evacuate when the earthquakes started getting serious. I'm going to school here, for the time being." Sakura replied, noticing when Seishiro nodded in understanding.

"I see…..then that makes you and yours very lucky indeed. I take it the area was destroyed shortly afterwards?" Seishiro questioned.

"Hai. It happened about a month ago, so my family and several others are still settling down. What about you? Do you have any family here?" Sakura in turn asked.

"No. My mother died a long time ago, and I never knew my father….and it seems a pretty slim chance that I have any other relations, since Tokyo is coming apart at the seams." Seishiro stated, then silently added, "_Quite literally._"

"Gomenasai….I didn't know you were an orphan…..How sad…" Sakura said, as tears of pity filled her bright green eyes. With a slight sigh, Seishiro turned around, kneeled in front of the weeping child, and gently tilted her chin up; reminded of a younger Subaru as he did so.

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan. In many ways, I am not worth your tears….Yet, I will say this; even though I'm an orphan, I am never truly alone so long as I have the loved ones I hold dear close by. Always remember, even though sorrow and pain are part of being alive, so too are the feelings of hope and joy….Keep every moment you have with your family close to your heart, that way you won't have any regrets later on. Now, dry your tears; it looks like someone is looking for you." Seishiro said, as he looked back in the direction they had been walking in, and spotted what appeared to be a pair of frantic-looking teenage boys jogging around, calling Sakura's name.

"Hoe! I'm in big trouble now! See you later, Sakurazuka-san!" Sakura yelped, as she raced over to meet the two teens, shouting their names as she went.

"Those were some profound thoughts you imparted to that little girl, Seishiro-san." Subaru said, as he joined his friend on the path, and watched as Sakura was reunited with her elder brother and his friend.

"From lessons hard-learned, Subaru-kun….How long had you been standing there?" Seishiro asked, a little bit disturbed at not having sensed the other onmyoji before.

"Not long. I only caught the latter part of the conversation." Subaru replied, with a tenseness in his voice that could not be missed.

"What's wrong?" Seishiro questioned, sensing that something was wrong.

"A few moments ago I sensed a Spirit Shield being put into place……I think it was Kishu-san's." Subaru murmured.

"What do you want to do? Do you want to go help them?" Seishiro again asked, knowing that Subaru wanted to do all he could to help his fellow Dragons. The younger onmyoji nodded.

"Then let's go." Seishiro said, before taking off.

"Seishiro-san! Wait!" Subaru shouted, as he raced off after him.

………………………..

Kamui watched and listened as Sorata finished placing the shield around them, hoping that this would provide some margin of privacy from prying eyes and ears.

"All right, it's done! Now, no one can see what's going on within the Spirit Shield, and not a soul can hear us." Sorata stated, as Kamui showed him the anti-scroll he'd found after Hinoto's image had disappeared.

"She left this behind. Why would Hinoto have such a thing?" Kamui asked, as he handed the scroll to Sorata.

"I've seen the same talisman…." Sorata muttered, before Kamui started his explanation.

"It was on my first day going to Kotori and Fuma's school….just after I got back to Tokyo. Men in black shades and dark suits came at me…. Turns out they were Cursed Zombies. I'm telling you one thing, they were grim…..The only thing on their minds was putting me in the grave. In the end, I won out….but they left one of these behind." Kamui said, as Sorata gave him a look of disbelief.

"This 'talisman' even has the same aura as the guys in the black suits." Kamui added, seriously.

"Then that would mean Hinoto tried to kill you when you first returned to Tokyo." Sorata murmured, getting a nod from Kamui as a result.

"Yes. But it's odd….the aura I feel from this talisman is different…..It isn't like the Hinoto I've come to know. I don't really know how to explain it except like this; before, she had an air of calm, like a lake…as pure and fragile as ice. What I feel from this talisman is more like lava; intense, thick, and blazing, boiling up from a fiery core…..It's hot….wild…..and it's…." Kamui said, before Sorata interrupted him.

"'Evil'….? Is that what you're trying to say?" Sorata asked, getting a tense look from Kamui as he said that.

"I'll call it if you won't." Sorata stated, then continued, "This spell is no joke. It's one and only purpose is to lay a heavy-duty curse on someone. We must find out what's going on here. And we can use this to see the whole truth! An onmyoji could do a better job, but….since Subaru's been ordered to stay on-campus and rest….." Sorata muttered, a he started shaping the talisman into an avatar. When the avatar had finished forming, Sorata gave it the silent command to return to the talisman's origin and keep watch there.

"Now my avatar will keep an eye on whoever sent this talisman. It can't be lied to, so we'll know the truth." Sorata said, grimly.

"But….will you be all right? If she finds out that you've done this….will there be any danger to you?" Kamui asked, worriedly.

"Can't say that there won't, but, it's made from her own hex….not something whipped up from scratch. That'll make it even harder for her to spot. It's aura still feels like her talisman…..Though my main concern now is Ino-Gashira Park…..Will there really be an earthquake here in Ginza? Is it the right thing to do—stay put here? Can we trust Hinoto's word on this one?" Sorata asked, as real worry for Arashi appeared on his usually carefree features…….

……………………………………..

"ARASHI!" Yuzuriha screamed, mere seconds before one of the bridges in the park landed right where the miko had been standing moments before. The battle had starting going badly when the seemingly alive wires and cables that came snaking from underground had separated the two of them. Now Yuzuriha stood where she was in horror, thinking that the worst had just come to pass right before her eyes. And yet, when the dust cleared, horror turned into a mix of relief and disbelief when an unbelievable sight showed itself. There, standing over Arashi protectively, was what appeared to be a huge white avatar! It was Inuki's barking that snapped her out of her stunned stupor long enough to dash forward and offer a hand to the equally shocked Arashi.

"Come this way! Take my hand! HURRY!" Yuzuriha cried, as she grabbed Arashi's hand and pulled her out of harm's way, just moments before the avatar disappeared again. The two Dragons of Heaven watched as the bridge came crashing down, leaving a pillar of dust in its wake.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" Yuzuriha asked, anxiously. Arashi shook her head.

"I-I'm fine. But…what in the world was that?" Arashi in turn asked, shakily.

"I'm not sure! It just came out of nowhere to save you!" Yuzuriha said, looking up when two male voices called out their names.

"Kishu-san! Nekoi-san!"

"That sounded like Subaru-san and Seishiro-san! What're they doing here!" Yuzuriha yelped, as the two men appeared from amidst the rising dust and smoke; their expressions a bit concerned and fearful for their well-being.

"Over here!" Yuzuriha shouted, as she waved at them.

"Are you two all right over there?" Seishiro asked, as he and Subaru leaped carefully over to them.

"Hai! We're fine! Whattabout you?" Yuzuriha asked, when the two men had gotten over to where they were.

"A little winded, but otherwise fine. What in the world just happened here?" Subaru questioned, having seen the avatar from a distance.

"An avatar just saved my life……it had been sent for me…." Arashi murmured, as she began to come out of her shock.

"An avatar? You mean like the ones Esoteric Buddhist monks use?" Yuzuriha asked, as realization started to emerge on the faces of her companions.

"Then you think it might have been….!" Arashi trailed off, mere moments before another, more frantic-sounding voice, called out to them.

"Arashi-san, Yuzuriha-chan!" Kamui's voice shouted, getting the attention of the two girls and both men. Arashi's eyes widened in horror when the horrible sight of a badly injured Sorata appeared before her.

"SORATA!" Arashi screamed, as she rushed over to his side.

"_This doesn't look good_….." Seishiro mused, as he, Yuzuriha, and Subaru joined Arashi at the injured monk's side.

"What on earth? Who did this to him…and how!" Yuzuriha asked, aghast at the sight of all the blood she could see coming from the young monk, and the severe pain he seemed to be in.

"I'm not sure, but it's bad! We were heading to Ino-Gashira when he suddenly fell to his knees! And then…..he began to bleed!" Kamui explained, as best as he could.

"Was it a Dragon of Earth?" Yuzuriha again asked.

"Not that I can tell. There was no one around us at the time." Kamui replied, noticing the grim looks on the older men's faces.

"It sounds almost like a sakanagi…..or the rebound of a curse….but I'm not really all that familiar with Esoteric Buddhism, so even I am not certain." Subaru mused, as Seishiro carefully propped the severely injured teen up, so he could breathe a bit easier.

"In any case, we must get him back to the campus. He won't last long with these wounds." Seishiro stated, watching as Arashi tried to rouse Sorata by calling his name. Finally, she got a response; ever so slowly (too slowly for the anxious group gathered near him) Sorata opened his eyes, and gazed up at the frightened visage of the girl he loved.

"I…..I had to see you….to….to know you're all right…." Sorata whispered, his breathing sounding rough and uneven to Seishiro, since he had positioned himself so his blind side was to the teen.

"I'm fine! You're the one who's been hurt! Tell us! Who….?" Arashi said, trailing off when Sorata smiled at her.

"As long as you're safe…..it's….It's all okay by me…." Sorata gasped, before turning his head to one side and coughing up blood.

"SORATA!" Kamui and Yuzuriha yelped, alarmed by this, while Seishiro did all he knew to do to help the teen breathe, and as Subaru tested his cell phone to see if he could get a signal.

"I knew it…..The avatar was yours'! You sent it…to protect me!" Arashi whispered, as Seishiro lifted the dying teen into his arms.

"We need to get him outside of the Spirit Shield! Subaru-kun, were you able to get through to the campus?" Seishiro asked, taking command of the situation.

"No." Subaru replied, jumping when a hysterical Arashi got to her feet, rushed over to Seishiro, and started screaming at Sorata; trying to wake him up.

"Arashi-san! ARASHI-SAN! Sorata will be fine!" Kamui shouted, as he gently, yet firmly, took hold of her arms and looked her right in the eye.

"We'll get him out of here and take him to a doctor right away, Kishu-san. They'll take care of him, trust me." Seishiro added, trying to reassure her the best way he knew how.

"Release the Spirit Shield, Kishu-san. You can let it go, now." Subaru said, calmly.

"Hai….." Arashi murmured, tearfully, as she let down the Shield, then they all rushed away from the park; intent on saving the injured Dragon's life at any cost.

…………………………………….

Arashi looked up when someone entered the room where Sorata now lay, and sighed when she saw that it was Subaru.

"How is he?" Subaru asked, as Arashi shook her head.

"Still unconscious." Arashi replied, as fear and uncertainty filled her usually calm young eyes.

"Kishu-san, it would be wrong for me to tell you not to worry, when you have every right to……Yet let me say this; have some faith in him. He's stronger than he looks." Subaru murmured, trying to reassure the girl in front of him. Arashi slowly nodded.

"I know, Sumeragi-san…And thank you for staying so close at hand. I really appreciate it." Arashi said, getting a slight smile from Subaru in response.

"What can I say, Kishu-san, except that you and the rest of the Dragons of Heaven did the same for me, when Seishiro-san was in the hospital." Subaru stated, looking to the side, when he heard Sorata begin to regain consciousness.

"I'm going to go ahead and see where Kamui has gotten to, since neither he nor Seishiro-san have slept since we returned here." Subaru said, as he made ready to leave.

"You haven't gotten any sleep either, Sumeragi-san. You've been too worried to, like the rest of us." Arashi pointed out, getting a rather abashed smile from Subaru for that comment.

"True enough……Hokuto-chan always accused me of making other peoples' problems my own….I guess she was right. See you later, then." Subaru murmured, as he left the room on his self-imposed chore. Not even five minutes later, Sorata opened his eyes and gazed blearily up at Arashi's worried face.

"Oh…..It's you. How nice….to wake up….to your face. Not that I can see it too well. My eyes…..seem to be playing tricks on me…" Sorata mumbled, a bit surprised when Arashi scolded him.

"You act like that's some kind of surprise! The doctors said you could have been killed!" Arashi shouted, tearfully. She was further frustrated when Sorata gave her one of his impetuous grins.

"You don't think you can get rid of me that easily, do you?" Sorata asked, before sobering a little bit and adding, "But it does feel….like my leg has a break or two. And there's a dull pain…in my chest. And my hand won't move…..I'm trying, but I can't move it. So, my fingers may be paralyzed, huh? I can get used to it." The only sounds he heard this time were of Arashi weeping.

"C'mon! Don't cry. I don't know what to do when cute girls cry." Sorata said, as he reached over with his good hand and patted Arashi on the head.

"It was you, wasn't it? You…you came to save me…" Arashi whispered.

"Yeah. My avatar was with you all along…since the day after we first met….My spell must've been pretty darn good if the Kakushi Miko of Ise never noticed! Score one for me!" Sorata murmured, his voice a little bit stronger than before.

"But….why did you do it?" Arashi asked, with disbelief in her eyes as she said that.

"I told you, even then! You are the one, Arashi-koi. The one that I chose! You are the one for whom I will give my life." Sorata stated, repeating what he'd said over and over since the day they had met.

"Don't I have a say in it? Do you care how I feel at all? Who asked you to pick me to be the girl you'd die for! What would happen to me and my feelings for you if…." Arashi sobbed, before Sorata interrupted her.

"It's okay….I know you don't really care for me." Sorata said, with a sad smile.

"H-how can you say that?" Arashi questioned, with some anger in her voice.

"Yes, you're right. It's not that you don't care….it's worse than that. All I seem to know how to do…is bug you." Sorata mused, startled by what Arashi said next.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!…..Did you think I'd not even care if you….got hurt, or worse, died!" Arashi asked, shocked that Sorata could think such a thing.

"We're both Dragons of Heaven so, yeah, of course you'd care if a teammate was hurt." Sorata replied.

"You mean more to me than that. You must know how I feel, Sorata." Arashi said, softly, as more tears cascaded down her pretty face….and landed on Sorata's surprised features.

"Do you mind if…I let that mean what I'd like it to? Can I assume that you've noticed that I'm a man….and that maybe you'd like to be a bit more than just a friend? Is that okay with you?" Sorata asked, as he carefully sat up and brushed the long dark hair out of Arashi's tear-filled eyes. Hesitantly, Arashi nodded, and allowed herself to be pulled into the young monk's embrace.

"Shh….I can't stand to see tears in your eyes." Sorata whispered, as he held her close to him, trying to comfort her.

"B-but I…I don't let anyone see me cry! And now…that the tears have begun, I can't seem to make them stop…." Arashi whimpered, as she gripped Sorata's shirt tightly in her hands.

"A first? And just for me, huh? Her virgin tears!" Sorata said, with a laugh, as Arashi pulled back and gave him a semblance of her usual embarrassed glare.

"Why do you always have to twist things around!" Arashi asked, her face red with embarrassment. Sorata laughed softly at her discomfiture, before giving her an earnest look.

"Do you think I might have one more of your firsts?" Sorata asked, getting, at first, a surprised look, and then a shy nod from the miko, before he pulled her towards him again, and their lips met….for the very first time.

………………………….

Kamui sighed tiredly as he leaned against Kotori's Tree. It had been almost twelve hours since he, Yuzuriha, Subaru, Seishiro and a severely injured Sorata had returned to the CLAMP Academy campus, and he could feel all that time weighing on him.

"_Sorata's injuries were from that avatar he'd placed to guard Arashi. It worked_…._but at his expense_….. _Arashi is the one he would protect above all else._" Kamui thought, jumping slightly when something cold touched his arm.

"You looked like you were about to fall asleep up there, Kamui-kun." Seishiro said, as he handed the soda he had in hand to the teen.

"I guess I was about to……Thank you for keeping me awake." Kamui said, as he gave the elder onmyoji a weary smile.

"No problem. If I had allowed you to go to sleep up there, and if you had fallen out of the tree as a result, then Subaru-kun would have had my hide." Seishiro joked, as a soft laugh came from between Kamui's lips, and as he descended from the branches to stand in front of the former Sakurazukamori.

"I'm not touching that one…..By the way, thank you for being there last night. You and Subaru were a big help in getting Sorata back here to get his wounds treated." Kamui murmured, voicing his gratitude. Seishiro shook his head, then fondly tousled Kamui's hair.

"It's about all I can do, for now, to repay you and Kishu-san for helping me a month ago. I owe you that much and more." Seishiro replied, honestly.

"By the way, where is Subaru-san? Normally he follows you wherever you go." Kamui said, having noticed the absence of the thirteenth Sumeragi head.

"Probably searching for the both of us. But I convinced the doctor who had treated Arisugawa to give him a sedative when he finally manages to corner him. He's been wearing himself out with all the fretting he's been doing over me and Hokuto-chan….What with her still being missing, and all." Seishiro murmured; concern for the Sumeragi twins coloring his words as he said that.

"I know what you mean…..and I can relate to how he must feel. I felt the same way towards Kotori and Fuma before all this happened…..And I still feel that way towards Fuma, now." Kamui admitted, sadly.

"You probably always will, Kamui-kun. Fate has not been very kind thus far, but I hope things start looking up for you, and Subaru-kun, soon." Seishiro said.

"I hope so too…..and I hope that soon I will be able to form a Spirit Shield like the rest of the Dragons of Heaven….so I can protect those I care about. I've had enough tragedy for one lifetime, Seishiro-san…..I can only hope that I don't have to live through any more." Kamui murmured, as the conversation lingered into thoughtful silence.

"_I think we all hope that tragedy doesn't visit us again, Kamui-kun, but that, in and of itself, may be wishful thinking. As long as the Twin Star lives, you will not know peace in any form._" Seishiro thought, grimly, as foreboding stole over him…..

Author's Note!

I know this chapter probably didn't make much sense, but there are more surprises in store, so bear with me, okay?

Gemini14


	4. Chapter Four: Desperate Times

Chapter Four: Desperate Times

Hokuto blinked when the light from some electric lamps hit her eyes. She had just emerged from the void she'd called 'limbo' and now glanced about with confusion on her pretty features.

"_This doesn't look like the park where I last saw Sei-chan_…._In fact, this looks like the basement of a building!_" Hokuto thought, as she started exploring the mysterious place she'd ended up in. It appeared to be a huge room, almost an antechamber; the only piece of furniture she could see, however, was an ornate, high-backed chair in the very center of it.

"_Not much I can say about the décor, but the size of the room itself is somewhat impressive_….." Hokuto mused, silently, as she started to approach the chair to get a closer look at it.

"You look a little lost." A woman's voice stated, startling Hokuto into turning around. To Hokuto's surprise, a beautiful (yet scantily clad) woman had emerged from the shadows at the other end of the room.

"Um….yeah…I am kinda lost, to be honest. Can you tell me where I am?" Hokuto asked.

"You are in the basement of Tokyo's city hall. How you got down here is really beyond me, since security is tighter than usual." The woman replied, as she approached the wary Sumeragi.

"Really? Gee, I wonder why….?" Hokuto murmured, even though she had a feeling she knew the reason. She then noticed that the other woman was giving her an odd look.

"Is it normal for ceremonial robes to have holes in their chests?" the woman asked, rhetorically.

"Uh….no…Not really…..EEK!" Hokuto yelped, when she finally realized that the hole in the robes caused by Seishiro's deathblow now revealed a good portion of her otherwise bare chest.

"I think you'd better be glad that Yuto wasn't the one who had found you." The woman muttered, dryly, watching while an embarrassed Hokuto futilely tried to cover herself.

"Is this 'Yuto' person a pervert?" Hokuto asked, a little bit afraid of what would be said next.

"Yes and no. It really depends on who he's with." The woman replied, smirking a little bit when the deadpan expression appeared on the younger woman's face.

"Sounds a little bit like someone I know." Hokuto muttered, unaware that both men in question (Yuto and Seishiro) has just sneezed in response to the words being spoken against them. This got an amused chuckle from the woman.

"Indeed? You're going to have to tell me about the one you know so well over tea. Come. I'll find you some clothes to wear in the meantime." The woman said, as she extended a hand in invitation to Hokuto.

"How very kind of you…..I believe I'll take you up on your offer." Hokuto replied, then added, "On the condition that you tell me your name, first." The older woman gave her a smile and nodded.

"Of course, how rude of me! My name is Kanoe. And you name is…..?" the woman questioned, curiously.

"Hokuto is my name. Pleased to meet you, Kanoe-san." Hokuto said, deciding to withhold her last name from the strange woman, and stay on her best behavior…..since even she could sense the dark, lingering presence of the Twin Star…..and could almost tell that revealing any more about herself could lead to an unfortunate fate…..

"_I hope I'll be able to find my way out of here and find out where Subaru and Sei-chan are now_….._I don't like the feel of this place at all_…." Hokuto mused, as she followed Kanoe into the upper levels of the government building.

……………………….

Seishiro blinked as he looked around at the bleak expanse. He could have sworn that, just a moment ago, he'd been asleep in his bed.

"_Or is this a dream? I can't really tell, since this feels so similar to the illusions I used to use as the Sakurazukamori_….." Seishiro mused, jumping slightly when brilliant light broke into the darkness, and revealed what appeared to be a crystalline lake.

"_Well_…._This is different._" Seishiro thought, as he cautiously approached the lake. Almost immediately, he spotted someone sitting on the lakeshore; and his heart almost stopped when he realized who it was.

"Mother! What in the world are you doing here?" Seishiro asked, as he rushed over, and as the woman looked up and smiled happily at him.

"_Seishiro, my dear son! You look well!_" the woman said, equally as surprised to see him.

"I am, Mother, now that I see that your soul has been released from the tree as well." Seishiro said, voicing his relief and almost overwhelming joy at knowing this fact. His mother nodded, as she gracefully stood, smoothed her kimono, and hugged him tenderly to her.

"_It is true. All of the souls that had been trapped within the cursed tree have been freed, including those of both of your young friends from the Sumeragi Clan._" The woman stated, laughing softly when Seishiro breathed a huge sigh of relief and swiped a hand across his brow to emphasize the fact.

"But what is happening now, Mother? And what is this place?" Seishiro asked, as he motioned to the peaceful scene with some confusion on his face.

"_This is a place within your dreams, my son. Or, better yet, a place deep within your_ _heart. It is where your most precious memories are stored_." The woman said, quietly.

"Did you call me here? Does something yet trouble you, Mother?" Seishiro asked, noticing when his parent's expression sobered.

"_Yes_…._And, then again, no. You did, in some small way, call me here because you_ _wanted to know whether or not my soul had been released; but I also chose to come here_ _to try and warn you_." The woman replied, as she looked anxiously up into his eyes.

"Warn me? Of what?" Seishiro questioned, sensing that this was the main reason he'd been allowed to see her again, after so long.

"_Seishiro, someone is after your life. Very soon, she will reveal her true intentions_……_You must take care._" The woman whispered, turning slightly when a tall figure appeared beside her and gazed seriously at Seishiro; seeming to silently add to the worried mother's words with his actions.

"I will….I promise." Seishiro murmured, as the scene started to fade from before his eyes, taking the two figures with it.

"_See to it that you do,_….._my son._" The male figure quietly said, as pride shown from his red-brown eyes towards the startled Seishiro. And then, Seishiro was alone again…..But not for too long.

"_I see that you have been 'visited' by loved ones, Sakurazuka Seishiro-sama._" A girl's voice said, as the owner approached him from behind. With a swift movement, Seishiro turned to find Hinoto sitting there; and he remembered to keep his parents' dire warning to himself by burying it deep within his psyche so the Dream-seer would not sense it.

"I have been…..What brings you here, Hinoto-hime?" Seishiro asked, warily.

"_Please, I mean you no harm. I merely wanted to tell you of something important I thought you wanted to know._" Hinoto said, hearing the leery tone in the man's voice and trying to placate his fears somewhat.

"And what would that be…?" Seishiro questioned.

"_I know now where Subaru-sama's elder sister is_….._and she is in grave danger._" Hinoto said, getting an alarmed look from Seishiro in response.

"Where is she?" Seishiro whispered, as a feeling of foreboding settled heavily in his gut.

" _She is being held within the city hall building_….._The stronghold of the Dragons of Earth._" Hinoto replied; her words turning Seishiro's blood into ice-water.

"Oh no….." Seishiro muttered, his face paling at the thought of having to go in there again.

"_What do you intend to do, Seishiro-sama?_" Hinoto asked, when the man before her breathed a shaky sigh, swallowed his fear, and resolve appeared in his mismatched eyes.

"I'm going to go and bring her back….Since I was the one who had killed her, and, subsequently, gotten her into this mess, in the first place." Seishiro murmured, as he started willing himself to wake up.

"_Be careful, Seishiro-sama. As it is, right now, I have no way of knowing where the Twin Star is_….." Hinoto said, sitting back a little when the former assassin gave her a grim smile from over his shoulder.

"Wish me luck, then." Seishiro whispered, as light started breaking into the dream. Yet, before Seishiro awoke completely, he could have sworn that he heard Hinoto say something else under her breath; something decidedly sinister…..

"_I'll wish you so much more than just that, Sakurazuka Seishiro-sama_…._I'll wish you death._"

……………………………………

In the waking world, much was going on. Kasumi Karen and Aoki Seiichiro were on patrol in Ginza, and the rest of the Dragons of Heaven were resting and trying to get on with their lives as best as they knew how.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Seishiro-chan!" Yuzuriha chirped, in greeting, as the former Sakurazukamori drowsily wandered into the kitchen area of the large apartment the Seven Seals shared.

"Ohayo, Nekoi-chan. How are you doing this fine morning?" Seishiro asked, smiling when the youngest Seal gave him a kittenish smile.

"Great! How're you doing?" Yuzuriha questioned, as Seishiro poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Fair. A little bit tired, but otherwise good. I take it everyone else is still in bed asleep?" Seishiro asked, having noticed how empty the kitchen and living areas seemed that morning.

"Subaru-san and Kamui-chan are still asleep, Arashi-san is still with Sorata-kun, and Karen-san and Aoki-san left earlier to go to Ginza to protect the Spirit Shield there." Yuzuriha replied, getting a nod from Seishiro in response to this information.

"I see….Do you think you can do me a favor, Nekoi-chan?" Seishiro asked. Yuzuriha nodded enthusiastically.

"Hai! Just name it and I'll do what I can!" Yuzuriha said, gung-ho even though it was so early in the morning. Seishiro smiled at her exuberance and eagerness to help, then began to explain what he needed her to do.

"I want you to tell Subaru-kun and Kamui-kun that I have picked up on a lead to Hokuto-chan's whereabouts. I'm going to go and follow up on it while I can." Seishiro stated, seriously.

"Want me to go with you?" Yuzuriha asked. Seishiro shook his head.

"No, I want you to remain here, where it is somewhat safe……Where I am going is the equivalent of jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. You and Inuki need to stay here, for the time being." Seishiro said, ruffling the girl's hair gently when he saw the disappointed look in her eyes.

"Don't fret. I'll be all right…..I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. See you soon." Seishiro murmured, as he finished his coffee, walked out of the kitchen, gracefully put on his coat, and disappeared out the door.

"Good luck, and please be careful, Seishiro-chan." Yuzuriha whispered, as Inuki whimpered and looked after the man with worry in his translucent canine eyes.

………………………………..

Meanwhile, within the shrine of Hinoto, the Dream-seer and her two keepers waited anxiously for news from Aoki and Karen.

"I pray they both come back to us safely." Sohi murmured, her worried tone belying her cool exterior.

"Kasumi Karen-sama and Aoki Seiichiro-sama….two brave Dragons of Heaven." Hien added, her concern showing a little more freely than that of her sister. And yet, neither one noticed when a sinister grin graced their charge's face; they were still unaware of the changes in Hinoto's demeanor that Kamui, Subaru, and Seishiro had started to pick up on.

"_I wish to rest for a time_…." Hinoto said, as the two faced her and kneeled before her.

"We shall be in the next room, Hinoto-hime." Hien murmured, as she and her sister again stood and briskly exited the room. As silently as a shadow, when she was certain they were out of earshot, Hinoto reached into her kimono, grasped another of her talismans and changed its' form into that of a deformed bird that had a single leg and eye.

"_Be my eyes! Go_…_for in my stead, you shall witness the deaths of two Seals._" Hinoto ordered, before the bird left in a flurry of white feathers. She was therefore unaware that her actions had been witnessed by a pair of tiny eyes in the corner of her chamber…..and those of a more human watcher.

"This 'other' you….She does not see it. You, on the other hand, would not have been so blind to the presence of that avatar….Not when you were in control." Kakyo Kuzuki, Dream-seer for the Dragons of Earth, murmured, as he watched a cut appear on the true Hinoto's wrist, and as blood flowed freely into the water that surrounded her.

"_My body is not my own_…._At least,_…._not in the waking world_…._But that does not change the fact that she is still me! I may only exist in dreams now, a mere soul, but what hurts me in turn will hurt her as well. Her power will grow weak._" Hinoto replied, with a sad confidence in her voice that Kakyo couldn't help but react to.

"But…the pain….If you keep getting hurt, your soul will most certainly die." Kakyo said, concernedly. Hinoto nodded and gave him a soft look.

"_Yes, I know. I can but pray that they find out in time_…._to stop my other self._" Hinoto whispered, before sinking back into the depths, beyond Kakyo's sight.

"A lot to ask….since time goes ever on. The future is still moving, but in such an unusual way…..A Dragon of Earth has ceased to exist, but he has not been killed….and his position has yet to be filled. Also it seems that soon, one more will fall…another Dragon of Earth will be no more, and another new power will then fill its' void….." Kakyo muttered, before silently adding, "_Just what in the world is going on? Is the future indeed changing? If so, then into what? And will it be as that girl had wanted?_"

…………………………………….

Arashi awoke to the sounds of birdsong and sunlight filtering in through the hospital window, and the feeling of Sorata's warm body beside hers'. For a brief moment, she was a bit bewildered; and then a slight blush and a soft smile came to her features. She could see that their actions had not only loosened a lot of Sorata's bandages, but also had exhausted him to a point where he was oblivious to when she moved to sit up. With a whisper-soft movement, Arashi gently kissed Sorata's brow, then glanced around to see if anyone else was there.

"_I don't sense Sumeragi-san, and most of the hospital staff seems to have gone home._" Arashi mused, then glanced at her left hand. For a brief moment, she concentrated on it; trying to make the sword emerge…..But, to her dismay, nothing happened.

"_Oh no_……" Arashi thought, as the meaning of this became perfectly clear…..Her time, as a Dragon of Heaven, was over.

…………………………………….

Kamui, the Dragon of Earth, sighed as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, in his search for a replacement for one of his own.

"_Even I am at a loss as to what exactly happened. Sakurazuka Seishiro is no longer a Dragon of Earth_….._and yet, he still lives. Why? How could this be? Kakyo seems just as confused about this as I, since he had foreseen that the Sakurazukamori would die on Rainbow Bridge_….._Could this truly mean that the future can, in fact, be changed? I wonder_…." The Twin Star mused, as he closed the distance between him and his destination; a drug store.

"_Hmm_…._It seems the question on the open position may be answered a bit sooner than I expected._" The Twin Star thought, smirking when he saw those inside of the establishment; specifically one tall, dark-haired boy who looked to be about his own age……

…………………………………………

A dog's wet tongue was what awoke Subaru from what could have been his first full night's sleep in almost five months.

"…..Go away, Kyoku…..go bother Hokuto-chan….." Subaru muttered, sleepily, as he tried to push the dog off of him.

"Subaru-san? C'mon, it's time for breakfast." Yuzuriha's voice called, gently, giggling when Inuki climbed onto Subaru's chest and started licking the onmyoji's nose. After a few more moments, Subaru reluctantly roused up; starting a little when he saw that it was Inuki that had awakened him so rudely.

"I see that you have taken on a rather bad habit, Inuki." Subaru stated, feigning irritation as he slowly sat up and stretched a little bit; wincing when the action pulled on some stiff muscles.

"Does your back hurt, Subaru-san?" Yuzuriha questioned.

"It's just a bit tense, that's all. So, what's for breakfast?" Subaru asked, in turn.

"Anything you like. Just name it and I'll fix it." Yuzuriha replied, looking to the side when she heard Kamui enter the room.

"Sounds good." Subaru murmured, noticing when Yuzuriha gave him a curious look.

"Subaru-san, who is Kyoku? You said that name before you woke up just now." Yuzuriha stated, getting at first a surprised look, and then a somber one.

"Kyoku was the name of a dog I had owned when I was little. He was one of my best friends, since I didn't have too many human ones at the time……I haven't thought of him in years…." Subaru mused, smiling sadly when Inuki floated over to him and he ruffled the almost non-existent fur on the pup's head.

"Maybe it's because you have so many human friends now, Subaru-san…..It's not that your heart has forgotten Kyoku, it's just that you have so many others in there now." Kamui suggested.

"You could be right, Kamui-kun. That could very well be the case." Subaru stated, thoughtfully.

"So, did your dog like to lick your nose like Inuki just did?" Yuzuriha asked, getting a slight chuckle from Subaru in response.

"Hai. In fact, when he grew out of his puppy stage, he would sometimes pin me or my sister to the bed so he could get our noses good and wet. I guess he thought that if we had wet noses, we were healthier that way." Subaru said, actually smiling when he remembered the fond memories of his youth. Yuzuriha giggled; imagining the normally serious Subaru as a child and the dog that had been his closest companion 'getting his licks in'.

"We'd better get something to eat soon, so we can visit Sorata and see how he's feeling. He won't like it if we're late." Kamui said, imagining the rather irritated expressions they would probably get from both the Koya priest and Kakushi Miko if they didn't show up at the time they had promised Arashi they would be there.

"Then we'd better hurry up and get dressed. Hokuto-chan would've had my hide if she'd found me still in bed after having been awake for the past ten minutes." Subaru muttered, jokingly, getting a nod from both of the teens in understanding. As she and Kamui made their way out of Subaru's room so her could change, something occurred to Yuzuriha that she was forgetting to tell Subaru something important.

"_But what was it? And how could I have forgotten so easily?_" Yuzuriha wondered, then shrugged. She'd remember eventually.

……………………………………..

A couple of tense hours had passed, Hokuto sat uneasily on the couch where she and Kanoe had had tea. Across from her a young man in a business suit and a woman in a skin-tight black leather bodysuit sat, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Now, now, you two! No need to be so hostile-looking! I mean, this young lady just simply got lost and wandered into the basement. Right, Hokuto-chan?" Kanoe asked, trying to smooth down the hackles of at least one of those sitting there.

"True enough, Kanoe-san." Hokuto replied, increasingly aware of the icy look she was getting from the other woman.

"Happens all the time, nowadays." The man said, seemingly calming down and donning an easygoing smile……not that Hokuto was convinced by the act in the slightest.

"So, were you trying to apply for a job here, Hokuto-san?" the man, Yuto, asked; his curiosity winning out over suspicion, for the time being.

"Um…..Yeah! I was wondering if this place needed a new secretary or something like that! I have some experience!" Hokuto said, lying in an effort to preserve her newly-regained life.

"We don't really need any secretaries at the moment, but we can refer you to another office, if you would prefer." Kanoe offered, placatingly.

"Uh…..No, don't trouble yourselves over me! Really! I'll find work somewhere else, honest!" Hokuto said, nervously, as she stood up and slowly made her way to the door.

"It isn't often we find such an honest young lady in this day and age! Please, Hokuto-san, at least let us help you find employment." Yuto added, sensing that Hokuto wasn't telling them the truth and starting to go after her; to prevent her escape.

"Um…..Nope, sorry! Gotta run!" Hokuto shouted, as she dashed out the door and into the hallway.

"Beast! Don't let her escape!" the woman in the skintight outfit shouted, signaling the monstrous computer under their feet to take action. Hokuto yelped when wires erupted from within the walls to grab her, and she did what she could to avoid them.

"_I've gotta get out of here! I have got to find Sei-chan and Subaru, NOW._" Hokuto thought, as she raced through the halls, desperately pushing past people as she did so. She didn't stop until she rammed head-on into someone and knocked that person down.

"….Ouch…..Hokuto-chan……your head is as hard as ever!" a male voice gasped, startling Hokuto into looking up. She smiled an overjoyed smile when she saw who it was.

"Sei-chan!" Hokuto shouted, not caring who heard her (and also not caring who saw her when she embraced him warmly).

"Good to see you to, Hokuto-chan…..it seems I am not too late to rescue you?" Seishiro asked, breathlessly, as he quickly stood and helped her to her feet. Hokuto shook her head vigorously.

"No way! You're never too late, Sei-chan! But how did you know where…..?" Hokuto started to ask, before she was picked up by the former Sakurazukamori and carried quickly out of the building by him.

"I will explain later. For now, just hang on, Hokuto-chan…..things are about to get rough." Seishiro murmured, as he leaped to the next building and raced away from the city hall as though his life depended on it……Which, of course, it did.

Author's Note!

Things are starting to come to a head with the changes in Sei-chan's destiny, ne? Well, just wait and see what else I have in store, minna!

(Oh, and by the way, this will be one of the first chapters I post as an engaged woman. My boyfriend finally proposed! Hoorah!…….Okay, I'm finished bragging now…..I think…….)

Gemini14


	5. Chapter Five: Run for your Life

Chapter Five: Run for your Life

Seishiro cursed as he struggled to get away from city hall. In his arms, he carried a precious burden...Sumeragi Hokuto, the elder sister of Subaru, the Dragon of Heaven.

"Sei-chan, those wires are getting closer!" Hokuto shouted, her eyes wide with fear as Seishiro did his best to avoid Satsuki's attack.

"Just hang on to me, Hokuto-chan! Under no circumstances are you to let go!" Seishiro replied, then silently added, "_I don't know if I could live with myself if I let you get killed again! I want to do what I can to protect both you and Subaru-kun from further pain._"

"_Then that could only mean that you have changed sides, Sakurazuka Seishiro._" a voice in the back of Seishiro's mind stated, and as a chill raced down the former Sakurazukamori's spine.

"Oh no...Anyone but him..." Seishiro muttered, as he skidded to a halt and looked to his left. There, standing only a couple of buildings away, stood the Twin Star.

"Sei-chan...is that...?" Hokuto asked, as the man who held her trembled slightly.

"Kamui, the Dragon of Earth, otherwise known as the Twin Star? Yes, Hokuto-chan, it is." Seishiro said, as he held her closer to him and prepared to run. Hokuto could tell that this was the origin of the presence she'd felt in the basement of the city hall, and that Seishiro was now very afraid of him as well. Then, she took notice of the young man the Twin Star had with him.

"This is certainly something I have never seen before. While I had thought it was possible for a Dragon of Heaven to become a Dragon of Earth, I didn't think the opposite could occur...Well, it is fortunate for me that I have just found your replacement, Sakurazuka-san. Rikuo-kun, if you would demonstrate your skills, please?" the Twin Star asked, sounding for all the world like an employer asking his newly-hired employee to demonstrate an on the job task.

"Certainly." the other young man, Rikuo, replied; snapping his fingers and causing the concrete beneath Seishiro and Hokuto to buckle.

"Hokuto-chan, we are leaving!" Seishiro murmured, as he leaped as high as he could, and beat a hasty retreat.

"No arguments here!" Hokuto yelped, as she held on for dear life.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

At the same time, near the border of CLAMP Academy, Subaru quietly wandered the grounds. Something told him to remain in the area, even though he wanted so desperately to go out and search for Seishiro. The other man had turned up missing that morning, and had not been heard from since; causing Subaru to worry about his friend's safety more than ever.

"_Where did he go? What was so important that he had to leave without telling anyone?_" Subaru wondered, pausing when he thought he heard something off to his right hand side...his blind side.

"_Another attack?.! But I didn't sense anything!_" Subaru's mind yelped, as he readied an anti-scroll for defense, and froze when an all-too-familiar sight came to his eyes. Out of the foliage that surrounded part of the campus, a young man stumbled. His clothing hung in bloodied tatters from his lean body, and yet, despite his condition, he shouldered the weight of a man that was in even worse shape than he was. Without another thought, Subaru put the scroll away, and rushed to the young man's side; removing the older man from his shoulders and lowering him to the ground to see if there was anything he could do to help.

"T-thanks." the young man whispered, as he sank to his knees in exhaustion.

"No problem. What happened?" Subaru asked, as he started doing what he could to tie off some of the bleeding from the many gashes that now adorned the other man's body.

"You don't wanna know. Believe me." the young man said, shuddering as images of his recent near-death experience returned to him with a vengeance.

"I'll take your word for it." Subaru murmured, even though he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what had just occurred.

"_But why would the Twin Star attack these people? They don't have any connection to the battles that are being fought!_" Subaru mused, as he picked up and carried the older man, and motioned for the younger man to follow.

"What's your name?" Subaru asked.

"K-kudou Kazahaya...and the guy you're carrying is my employer, Kakei-san." the young man replied, as he followed Subaru as closely as he could.

"Well, Kazahaya-kun, I hope you'll be able to keep up with me, since we need to hurry and get your employer some immediate medical attention, if he is to live through this." Subaru stated, as he started to pick up the pace.

"Hai..." Kazahaya managed, from between gasps, "I'll do my best..." With only a nod to show that he'd heard the youth beside him, Subaru took off in the direction of the CLAMP Academy's hospital; hoping he could get there in time, despite the grim condition the man in his arms was in.

"_I'll go and search for Seishiro-san after these two have been seen by a doctor_..._I can only hope that he'll be all right until then._" Subaru mused, not even realizing the true danger his friend was truly in at that moment...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Aoki Seiichiro and Karen Kasumi both gazed somberly at the area around the abandoned Ginza strip. They had been sent by Hinoto to protect the Spirit Shield there, and were a bit surprised to see that it was still in one piece.

"This place...it's still mostly intact." Aoki murmured, voicing his surprise at this fact. Karen nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it is...but no one is here." Karen stated, listening as the wind moaned through the buildings and silent streets.

"They've probably all left. Everyone in the city had been advised to evacuate." Aoki said; turning his head when a movement caught his eye.

"Wait a minute...is that...?" Karen muttered, as she noticed the person in question as well.

"It certainly looks like the man Subaru, Kamui, Yuzuriha, and Arashi had brought back over a month ago...and it seems as though he has someone with him..." Aoki stated, as they watched the man leap from building to building; eventually ending up on the clock-tower they both now stood on. It took a few moments for the man to notice that they were there, but, when he did, he and the woman he was carrying almost jumped out of their skins.

"Sei-chan, please tell me that they're on our side!" the woman said, as he set her down and then leaned against the clock-tower's spire; trying to catch his breath.

"They are, Hokuto-chan. No need to worry." the man told her, breathlessly.

"You look like you've been chased out here, Sakurazuka-san. What happened?" Karen asked, as the former Sakurazukamori glanced warily around to make sure that his pursuers were not behind him.

"This and that. Mainly, I found Subaru-kun's sister, and wound up getting a death sentence placed on my head by the Twin Star." Seishiro replied, dryly, as he caught his breath, and gave the pair before him an even look.

"Why did he do that?" Aoki questioned, even though he had the feeling he knew.

"I have something I want to protect." Seishiro simply said, and watched as realization dawned in the two Seals' eyes.

"You're one of us now...No wonder the Twin Star wants you dead..." Karen murmured, stunned by this revelation.

"He wants me dead too...I guess so he can destroy Sei-chan and Subaru's shields at the same time." Hokuto added.

"Then we'll just have to prevent that from happening, won't we?" Karen asked, with a wink and a 'devil-may-care' smile. Hokuto nodded fervently.

"You bet! Even though I'm not as strong an onmyoji as my brother, I'll fight with all the power I've got!" Hokuto stated, looking up in confusion when Seishiro put his arms around her and held her close.

"_I will do all I can to protect this new chance at a life with these precious siblings_..._and the world they live in._" Seishiro mused, then gave Aoki and Karen a grave look.

"One of the Dragons of Earth is coming...and I am sure that the Twin Star will follow not too long afterward. Can you two...?" Seishiro asked, uncertain he really wanted to burden the pair with the task of protecting them as they retreated.

"We'll do what we can, Sakurazuka-san..." Karen said, speaking for both herself and Aoki, and trailing off when the former Sakurazukamori did what only a gentleman of a bygone era would do; he took one hand in his, and kissed the top of it.

"Thank you. I can only hope that this isn't going to be the last Hokuto-chan and I see of you." Seishiro stated; hinting at the fact that they had not really had the chance to talk, until now, and that he wished to speak to them again.

"Don't worry. We'll come through. Just tell Kamui not to worry." Aoki said, getting a nod from Seishiro as he picked up Hokuto again, and prepared to leave.

"I will." Seishiro replied, then turned his attention to Hokuto, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Take me to Subaru." Hokuto ordered, eager to see her younger brother again, after so long. Seishiro gave her an honest smile, and nodded.

"As you wish." Seishiro said, then took off.

"Godspeed to you both. And I hope you make it." Karen whispered, as she watched them go with hope in her eyes.

"They'll make it, don't worry. Sumeragi-san will have an even stronger Spirit Shield before the day is out, since two pieces of his heart will be returning to him." Aoki murmured, as they both turned to face the direction they could sense their enemies would be coming from, and as they put their Spirit Shields in place...

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Subaru paused when he sensed something coming towards the campus. Once again, he was on patrol; his restlessness forcing him to keep moving to avoid worry-induced madness.

"_Where the hell has he gone? Doesn't he even realize how worried I am right now? Damn it!_" Subaru thought, caustically, gritting his teeth and wringing his hands as he turned to face the oncoming threat. With ofuda in both hands, and a preemptive barrier set, Subaru was prepared for whatever came his way; be it a sakanagi, or even a youkai. He wasn't prepared, however, for who he saw emerge from the growing evening shadows.

"Ah...good evening, Subaru-kun." Seishiro's voice said, breathlessly, as the owner of it limped over to him, with a woman at his side helping him walk.

"You look like you've been through hell's half acre, Seishiro-san." Subaru stated, as he looked the man over; his clothing was ripped and torn in some places, and blood soaked one pants leg from a deep cut just over the knee.

"Well, considering who it was that I had run from, it should come as no surprise." Seishiro replied, dryly, watching as Subaru wrapped some bandages around the leg in an effort to curb the bleeding.

"The Twin Star chased you? Why did you go that far out?" Subaru asked, confusedly. Seishiro only gave him a secretive smile.

"I found someone we have both been wanting to see, Subaru-kun, in the city hall building where the Dragons of Earth are based..." Seishiro replied, as he motioned to the woman standing next to him, and removed the illusion from around her features. Subaru's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"H-Hokuto-chan...?" Subaru stammered, as tears gathered in his eyes, and as the woman rushed to embrace him. The floodgates broke when he felt her warmth against him; tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

"Shh...I'm here. I'm right here, Subaru." Hokuto whispered, as her twin brother buried his face in her shoulder and wept, and as she rubbed his back in an attempt to soothe him. Without another word, Seishiro slowly stood, wrapped his own arms around the Sumeragi twins, and held them tightly against him; his wordless vow affirming his decision to fight alongside Subaru as a Dragon of Heaven, and safeguard Hokuto's life while doing so.

"_And not even that damned dream-seer, Hinoto, is going to make me renege this promise. I've found what I want to protect now, and it is not going to slip through my fingers again._" Seishiro stubbornly thought, completely unaware that this decision was driving a wedge even more firmly into the dark Hinoto's plans...and changing his, Subaru's, and Hokuto's destinies entirely.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**So sorry about the long wait! I hope it was worth it! (And that it wasn't too sappy! ;;)**_

_**Gemini14**_


	6. Chapter Six:A Dragon Gained and Lost

Chapter Six: A Dragon Gained...and Lost

Subaru sighed as he sat in the waiting room of the CLAMP Academy's hospital. Beside him, sat his long-lost twin sister, Hokuto. She was sound asleep, with her head pillowed against his left shoulder. They had been waiting for the doctor to finish dressing Seishiro's wounds for quite some time now; joyful tears and conversation having given way to thoughtful silence and, for Hokuto, exhausted slumber. With a pained smile, Subaru remembered when they'd entered the lit interior of the hospital, and Hokuto's reaction to the loss of his right eye; her angry expression promised pain for the one who had done the deed, even if it was the Twin Star.

"_We're not exactly identical twins anymore, are we, Subaru?_" Hokuto had asked, a bit sadly, after the reality of his blindness had sunk in; getting what could only be called a wry smile from both Subaru and Seishiro as a response.

"_Hokuto-chan, if you two had __truly__ been identical, then Subaru-kun would have been a 'Subaru-chan' instead._" Seishiro stated, getting fervent blushes from the both of them for that.

"_SEISHIRO-SAN!_" Subaru had shouted, aghast at the thought.

"_Well, Sei-chan, we could always throw him into the 'Spring of Drowned Girl' and make it a legitimate relationship._" Hokuto said, laughing when a horrified look crossed Subaru's handsome face.

"_Hmm_..._True enough, Hokuto-chan. True enough. All we'll have to do now is book flights to and from China, and then_..." Seishiro joked, with a mischievous glint in his good eye as he watched Subaru's expression change from horrified to disgusted.

"_You are both too much_..." Subaru had muttered, putting on an act of being put off by their teasing; and yet enjoying every moment of it.

"_If this is just a dream, then it's the best one I've had in years! I hope I never wake up from it!_" Subaru thought, as he returned to the here and now, and gently gripped his sister's hand in his; silently marveling at just how much bigger his own hands now were compared to Hokuto's.

"Subaru-san! What're you doing here?" a youthful voice asked, getting Subaru's attention, and rousing Hokuto from her nap.

"Hello, Kamui-kun. I would say 'Good Evening' but it's almost morning now. Are you heading to Sorata's room?" Subaru asked, as Hokuto rubbed the grit from her eyes, and they both stood to greet the younger Dragon of Heaven. Kamui nodded.

"Yuzuriha-chan is with me, but she's at the front desk. Have to make sure that the get well basket she'd put together is allowed inside Sorata-kun's room." Kamui replied, looking up when Hokuto gently placed a hand to his face, and took a good close look at him.

"Subaru, is this Kamui, the Dragon of Heaven?" Hokuto asked, her eyes softening when she saw the look of wounded innocence in Kamui's deep lavender-blue eyes; secretly remembering when she had seen it in Subaru's eyes, so long ago.

"Hai. Hokuto-chan, this is Shiro Kamui. Kamui-kun, this is my onee-chan, Sumeragi Hokuto." Subaru stated, introducing the two to one another.

"I-it's good to meet finally meet you, Sumeragi-san." Kamui stammered, very honest relief coloring his words as he said that.

"Please! Call me 'Hokuto-chan'! 'Sumeragi-san' is way too formal!" Hokuto chirped, as she enthusiastically smiled and ruffled Kamui's hair.

"Okay." Kamui said, turning when Yuzuriha rushed up to join him; stopping short when she saw Hokuto.

"Oh wow! Subaru-san, is this your onee-chan?" Yuzuriha asked, brown eyes sparkling with joy when she saw the similarities between the two. Subaru nodded and smiled; the act bringing a certain brightness to his remaining emerald eye that had not been there before.

"Then that must mean that Seishiro-san is here too! They're both safe! Thank goodness!" Yuzuriha said, as relieved about this as Kamui was.

"Finally." Seishiro himself muttered, as he limped over to them.

"What did the doctor say, Sei-chan?" Hokuto questioned, as the elder onmyoji lowered himself into a chair to get the weight off of his bad leg.

"The wound on my leg wasn't as deep as we'd first thought...Any deeper, though, and it would have needed stitches. Aside from that, I am fine. No need to worry." Seishiro said, getting sighs of relief from all in front of him.

"Good to hear, Seishiro-san. Very good to hear." Kamui murmured, managing to look confused when the former Sakurazukamori gave him a look that said he had more to tell him, Subaru, and Yuzuriha.

"Sei-chan? Aren't you gonna tell them what you've learned?" Hokuto asked, picking up on the reason for the older man's hesitation. Seishiro sighed.

"I'd rather wait till the rest of the Dragons of Heaven are gathered, Hokuto-chan. That way, I won't have to repeat myself." Seishiro responded, quietly, as he slowly got to his feet again; wincing slightly and paling a little bit in response to the pain that was now surging through his leg. Kamui and Subaru were both quick to react; they firmly had him sit back down, and then charged Hokuto with guarding him (to make sure he didn't try to follow them as they visited Sorata).

"_It's almost like having __two__ Subarus to look after!_" Seishiro and Hokuto both thought, as they watched the trio walk down the hallway towards the room where Sorata was recovering.

"Do you think he's doing okay?" Yuzuriha asked, as she walked alongside the two male Dragon of Heaven.

"Sorata-kun, you mean? Arashi-san had said that she'd stay by his side." Kamui replied, trying to reassure the kittenish young Dragon.

"But he was hurt so badly! It's a wonder he's still with us at all! And that goes for Seishiro-chan as well!" Yuzuriha said, remembering what it had been like when Kamui, Arashi, and Subaru had returned with the gravely injured Seishiro a little over a month before.

"I agree with you there, Nekoi-san. But it makes me glad that they are both still alive. Very glad." Subaru murmured, with a warmth in his voice that the two younger Dragons had certainly never heard before.

"I...I like Sorata-kun a lot, you know...And Seishiro-chan too! If someone so close to my heart were to die...I'd be so sad! So sad that I could die from sorrow. So I'm really, really glad they're both okay." Yuzuriha sniffled, as relieved tears finally made their way down her cheeks. She was a bit surprised when Subaru gently brushed his fingertips against the right side of her face; ridding it of the tears, and almost giving her a fatherly look as he dried the left side as well.

"You've got a warm and gentle heart, Nekoi-san. Thank you for not giving up...on any of us." Subaru murmured, referring to when he'd also been in the hospital after the loss of his eye, and how she'd stayed until it got dark. For a moment, Yuzuriha was taken aback by the way Subaru was acting, then she smiled wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome, Subaru-san!" Yuzuriha mewed, happy to finally be getting a glimpse at the Subaru that had existed almost ten years before. When they had finally reached the door to Sorata's room, Kamui went ahead and knocked. For a few moments, nothing happened; then what sounded like a motor came to their ears.

"_Vroom?_" Subaru, Kamui, and Yuzuriha wondered, exchanging confused glances before the door suddenly flew open.

"ARASHI!" Sorata shouted, in a panic-stricken voice; knocking all three of his visitors down, and alerting two others to the distress in his voice.

"I didn't think he'd do that!" Subaru muttered, "Sheesh."

"Don't bust the door open like that! You all but hit my face!" Yuzuriha whined, as she tried to get her own racing heart to slow down.

"Glad it was a miss!" Sorata said, giving them an apologetic look before it gave way to worry, once again.

"What about Kishu-san, Sorata-kun?" Seishiro's voice asked, as he and Hokuto arrived at the scene as well; with Seishiro leaning heavily on Hokuto's shoulder until Subaru had gotten to his feet again.

"She...she's not here." Sorata muttered, gasping a little bit from his panic-induced sprint from within the room.

"Are you sure she didn't just go outside for something?" Yuzuriha asked, innocently, "A bite to eat, perhaps?"

"No...It wasn't that kind of deal." Sorata murmured, as a hint of shame appeared on his face.

"Did something happen between you two?" Kamui asked, worriedly; not wanting to hear of any strife between his friends. Sorata nodded, and buried his face in one hand.

"I...I guess you could say that...It was more like the two of us did something together..." Sorata admitted.

"Oh no...you didn't..." Hokuto said, breaking her unusual silence, and getting yet another ashamed nod from the young monk for an answer.

"Yeah. But I...I've got a really bad feeling about this..." Sorata said, as foreboding settled itself firmly around the group.

"_Is_..._Is __this__ the reason I was able to change sides? Did the Twin Star __know__ about this as well?_" Seishiro wondered, now knowing that he'd just filled Arashi's position as a Dragon of Heaven...and he could only wonder which Dragon of Earth was going to be replaced next.

"_Kamui's about to endure yet another heartbreak_..."

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Sorry about the short chapter, minna, but there might be some problems with future chapters. Since the manga has only reached a certain point (and I have been using it as sort of a 'guideline') I am not sure how the story will progress from here, since the end of the X manga is supposed to be different, compared to that of the movie or TV series. Please, bear with me, okay? Thanks for your patience!**_

_**Gemini14**_


End file.
